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Baptism: effect

In short
  • S03.1 Baptism is the ordinary means of regeneration and remission (faith presupposed) (high)
  • S03.2 Ordinarily necessary; martyrdom an exception (low)

From the study it came from: Largely agree on what baptism does; the fathers add a settled practice (infants, threefold immersion) where Scripture gives no explicit command.

Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on). This doctrine is second-order (tier weight 2). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation

Closeness to Scripture

1 Catholic 100% 2/2 q
2 Anglican 100% 2/2 q
3 Orthodox 92% 2/2 q
4 Oriental Orthodox 92% 2/2 q
5 Lutheran 92% 2/2 q
6 Presbyterian 67% 2/2 q
7 Reformed Baptist 67% 2/2 q
8 General Baptist 67% 2/2 q
9 Anabaptist 58% 2/2 q

Closeness to the fathers

1 Catholic 100% 2/2 q
2 Orthodox 100% 2/2 q
3 Oriental Orthodox 100% 2/2 q
4 Lutheran 100% 2/2 q
5 Anglican 100% 2/2 q
6 Presbyterian 25% 2/2 q
7 Reformed Baptist 25% 2/2 q
8 General Baptist 25% 2/2 q
9 Anabaptist 25% 2/2 q
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
Closeness to the fathers, by question (0–4). Hatched = not assessed in the category file. Click a question for its verdict.
01234Catholic · S03.1: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.14Orthodox · S03.1: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.1 and S03.2 (immersion kept)4Oriental Orthodox · S03.1: 4/4 — Baptism as new birth in the Syriac, Coptic and Armenian rites (to verify)4Lutheran · S03.1: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.14Anglican · S03.1: 4/4 — Art. XXVII: 'a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument'; 1662 Publick Baptism: 'Seeing now ... that this Child is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's Church' (verified)4Presbyterian · S03.1: 1/4 — Listed under 'departs or sharpens on': S03.1 and S03.2 weakened1Reformed Baptist · S03.1: 1/4 — 1689 29.1: a 'sign' of fellowship, ingrafting, regeneration1General Baptist · S03.1: 1/4 — SC 1660 art. 11: baptism follows profession of 'repentance ... and faith'1Anabaptist · S03.1: 1/4 — Schleitheim 1: baptism for those 'who have learned repentance'; Dordrecht VII; Menno: infants 'cannot be taught, therefore, baptism cannot be administered to them' (verified)1S03.1conf. highCatholic · S03.2: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.24Orthodox · S03.2: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.1 and S03.2 (immersion kept)4Oriental Orthodox · S03.2: 4/4 — Necessary in the non-Chalcedonian rites (to verify)4Lutheran · S03.2: 4/4 — Listed under 'closest to the fathers on': S03.24Anglican · S03.2: 4/4 — 1662 Catechism: 'Two only, as generally necessary to salvation, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord'4Presbyterian · S03.2: 1/4 — Listed under 'departs or sharpens on': S03.1 and S03.2 weakened1Reformed Baptist · S03.2: 1/4 — 1689 ch. 29: an ordinance of 'positive and sovereign institution' (28.1); not said to be necessary to salvation1General Baptist · S03.2: 1/4 — SC 1660: necessary for church order, not salvation; Orthodox Creed 28 rejects Limbus for unbaptized infants (OCR-verified)1Anabaptist · S03.2: 1/4 — Dordrecht VI: no outward ceremony avails without faith1S03.2conf. low
CatholicOrthodoxOriental OrthodoxLutheranAnglicanPresbyterianReformed BaptistGeneral BaptistAnabaptistnot assessed
When the cited witnesses spoke (approximate dates) and where later traditions fixed their positions. Filled dot = consensus question; hollow orange = a question on which the fathers varied. Each item links to its source note or post-750 note.
1002003004005006007001000125015001700post-750 (compressed)Justin Martyr (c. 155) · S03.1Justin Martyrc. 155 · S03.1Tertullian (c. 205) · S03.1Tertullianc. 205 · S03.1Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350) · S03.2Cyril of Jerusalemc. 350 · S03.2Augustine (c. 415) · S03.1Augustinec. 415 · S03.1Augustine (c. 415) · S03.2Augustinec. 415 · S03.2Augsburg Confession (1530) · LutheranAugsburg Confession1530 · LutheranTrent VII (1547) · CatholicTrent VII1547 · CatholicWestminster Confession (1646) · PresbyterianWestminster Confession1646 · PresbyterianConfession of Dositheus (1672) · OrthodoxConfession of Dositheus1672 · Orthodox
  1. c. 155 Justin Martyr S03.1
  2. c. 205 Tertullian S03.1
  3. c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S03.2
  4. c. 415 Augustine S03.1
  5. c. 415 Augustine S03.2
  6. 1530 Augsburg Confession Lutheran
  7. 1547 Trent VII Catholic
  8. 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
  9. 1672 Confession of Dositheus Orthodox

S3 · Baptism: effect

Regeneration, or sign and seal; necessity.

Tier: Second-order (scoring weight 2). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Site structure: structure.

Questions

  • S03.1 Regeneration (was baptism/B1)
  • S03.2 Necessity (was baptism/B4)

Verdicts and trace

S03.1 · Regeneration

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S03.1Baptism is the ordinary means of regeneration and remission (faith presupposed)HighS03.1.1 · S03.1.3 weighingjustin-martyr-bap-s1 · tertullian-bap-s1 · augustine-bap-s1S03.1.4: high

S03.2 · Necessity

QuestionVerdictConfidenceReasoningKey sourcesScripture (benchmark)
S03.2Ordinarily necessary; martyrdom an exceptionHigh; infants’ fate low consensusS03.2.1 · S03.2.3 weighingcyril-of-jerusalem-bap-s1 · augustine-bap-s2S03.2.4: medium

Post-750 development

Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes.

TraditionClosest to the fathers onDeparts or sharpens on
CatholicS03.1; S03.2—
OrthodoxS03.1 and S03.2 (immersion kept)None major
Oriental OrthodoxS03.1; S03.2—
LutheranS03.1; S03.2—
AnglicanS03.1; S03.2—
Presbyterian—S03.1 and S03.2 weakened
Reformed Baptist—S03.1; S03.2
General Baptist—S03.1; S03.2
Anabaptist—S03.1; S03.2

Origin

Plan, overall verdict and verification status of the former baptism category (shared with the other doctrines that came from it)

Baptism

Method and conventions: docs/conventions.md. Reasoning: baptism reasoning.

1. Plan

Questions: B1 regeneration; B2 infants; B3 mode; B4 necessity. Sources: Didache 7; Justin, 1 Apol. 61; Irenaeus AH II.22.4; Tertullian, On Baptism; Cyprian Ep. 58; Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. 3 and Myst. 2; Gregory Nazianzen Or. 40; Augustine, Merit and Forgiveness I and Ep. 98; John of Damascus IV.9. Planned but not yet read: Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21; Origen, Comm. Rom. V.9 (infant baptism “from the apostles”); Basil, On the Holy Spirit 15. Scripture: John 3:5; Acts 2:38–39; 22:16; Rom 6:3–4; Col 2:11–12; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 3:21; household baptisms. Terms: βαπτίζω, λουτρόν, παλιγγενεσία, ἄφεσις. Method: as in justification. Do not read later sign/thing distinctions into the fathers.

2. Verdicts and trace

Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father tiers T1–T4. Verdict changes are listed in docs/proximity-changes.md.

3. Post-750 development

4. Overall verdict

Orthodox closest on all four questions. Catholic and Lutheran are next; they differ from the fathers mainly in practice on mode. Presbyterian departs most on regeneration and necessity, though it keeps infant baptism. Confidence: high.

5. Verification status

  • Verified: all entries above, plus the post-750 quotations (Trent VII, Dositheus 16, AC IX, WCF XXVIII).
  • To verify: Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 21; Origen, Comm. Rom. V.9; Basil, On the Holy Spirit 15; Gregory Nazianzen Or. 40.28 (age three); the Latin of Irenaeus II.22.4 and AH III.17.1; the dating of Zwingli; the status of limbo; LSB English.